Articles

As a defense attorney, I can attest oh so well, the reform sought in NYS was desperately needed as activists call for reform to stop wrongful conviction. I was heavily supportive of this movement and attended the hearings in Albany, NY at the capital in February, 2018 when Rochester Woman Online first shared with you the stories of fellow activists Jeffrey Deskovic and H. Bosh Jr. The fellas have poured their blood, sweat and tears into pounding the pavement to see this day happen and we all celebrate what it means being the first state in the nation to pass legislation to set up a watchdog for rogue prosecutors. Despite claims it is not needed, it is. If one innocent person sits in a NYS orison because a DA sought re-election on their back it is needed. If one person wasn’t fairly convicted because a prosecutor wrongly withheld evidence to obtain their conviction, it is needed. Our work is never over but the passing of this legislation is the first of its kind in the nation and we in NY are leading the way, instead of being the last state to jump on board. This is a huge accomplishment. Read more...

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Cheryl L. Kates, Esq., has been practicing in parole and correctional matters for 15 years. Ms. Kates is an advocate for New York State criminal justice reform. She handles parole preparation, appeals, and Tier 3 ticket appeals against the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.